While speaking at the Cabinet press briefing held at the Department of Government Information yesterday (28), Minister of Health Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said, the government has not taken any decision to nationalise the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM). But the minimum standards to medical education will be specified and gazetted since it has been an important factor in the SAITM issue, he added.
The Neville Fernando Hospital (NHF) will provide free medical facilities for the public, Minster Dayasiri Jayasekara also said. “There shall be paying wards as well at the hospital for those who prefer such facilities.” he added.
Cabinet CoSpokesman ,Minister Jayasekara said the administration of the Neville Fernando Hospital (NHF) shall be similar to the administrative structure adopted by the Sri Jayawardenapura General Hospital.The NHF management will be carried out by a Board of Directors appointed by the Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister.
Asked on the anti-SAITM protestors who broke into the Health ministry building, Minister Senaratne said one has to figure out the difference between student activists, thugs and terrorists. These anti-SAITM protestors barged into the Health Ministry building like terrorists, he said. “We had to control the situation. It was not like these students came into visit the Ministry’s Buddha shrine. In 1988, the same people burnt the Health Ministry building down. We cannot allow that.” Minister Senaratne said.
Minister Senaratne also said there is no mechanism to recover the loss suffered by the Health ministry building from the aggressive behaviour of the anti-SAITM protestors. Legal action will be taken against the students involved in damaging the property of the Health Ministry under the Public Property Act, which does not allow bail for possible offenders, Senaratne said.
